Justin Kelly was around eight years old when he began his broadcasting career. Daydreaming about being a sportscaster, he called play-by-play for Vancouver Canucks and Toronto Blue Jays games with the sound turned down on his family鈥檚 TV set.
This August, Kelly and 24 other broadcasting wannabes 鈥� including Victorian Courtney Hutchings and former Victorian and Junior and Senior Shamrocks lacrosse player Teddy Jenner 鈥� will have their shot at the real thing.
Following auditions held online and across sa国际传媒, the three were chosen as semi-finalists in the fifth season of SportsNet Gillette Drafted search for 鈥渟a国际传媒鈥檚 next sportscaster.鈥� All 25 semifinalists receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Toronto for boot camp Aug. 5-30, where the field will be narrowed down to the final six 鈥� two by online voting 鈥� through tests such as sports trivia, and on- and off-camera presence. (See tinyurl.com/mkfsp5d for more information.)
The grand prize is a year鈥檚 contract to work on a national network and be a spokesperson for Gillette.
鈥淚t鈥檚 crazy. It鈥檚 a really unique opportunity,鈥� said Kelly, owner and operator of Kelly Green Lawn and Garden. 鈥淕etting that call was one of the best days of my life. Hopefully, I鈥檒l get hot at the right time, and can make a little run into the playoffs.鈥�
Kelly, who鈥檚 articulate, with television-worthy looks and personality, tried out two years ago for the contest but didn鈥檛 make it. He said nothing clicked; his mojo just wasn鈥檛 working. This time around, he took a lighthearted approach for his YouTube audition video, which looked at the emotional pain inflicted on fans by teams such as the underachieving Canucks.
鈥淚 told a couple of jokes, and I heard people laughing,鈥� Kelly said, naming sportscaster Don Taylor as his idol. 鈥淗e makes me laugh out loud.鈥�
Jenner鈥檚 commentary blamed the Canucks鈥� woes on GM Mike Gillis, while Hutchings espoused the opinion that judging in Mixed Martial Arts 鈥済rinds my gears.鈥�
For Kelly, who grew up in Black Creek and attended high school at Courtenay Vanier, working as a sports broadcaster would be the next-best dream job to being a pro athlete. Initially considering a teaching career, he graduated from Concordia University College in Edmonton, where he was captain of the basketball team. Moving back to Victoria, he had a stint in Texas for firefighter training, before taking up the yard-maintenance business.
Although his career path has varied, Kelly never wavered in his love of sports, and he still enjoys basketball, men鈥檚 league hockey, running and surfing. For the next month, he plans to hit the books to improve his knowledge on sports such as auto racing and wrestling, become more fit, practise his relaxation techniques and possibly lose some of his long, blond wavy hair.
鈥淚鈥檒l bring it down a little bit. A trim would probably be a good idea,鈥� Kelly said, knowing he鈥檒l be up against a variety of contestants. Opponents range from the experienced to the supremely confident.
Jenner, making the Gillette grade on the sixth attempt, hosts the Off the Crosse-Bar radio show and does news and sports for CFAX 1070. Among the other contestants, Joseph Otoo of Vancouver, touts five years of radio experience, plus a degree in journalism. Toronto鈥檚 Brett Gonsalves promised to name his kids after his favourite athletes, and Anthony Bruno simply said he鈥檚 the best there is.
Kelly just wants to be himself, and see where it takes him.
鈥淚鈥檓 going in there trying to be that diamond in the rough.鈥�
